Jack Russell

Posted by: john on 14 Oct 2009

This month’s breed is the happy and energetic Jack Russell, a very popular dog with outdoorsy people, hunters and those who want a companion for their active lifestyle. Jack Russells are typically loud, intelligent and fearless, which makes them perfect for knockabout outdoor activities.

Snapshot
Jack Russells are ideally suited to the hunting life; they enjoy working in the wild and are extremely energetic. They dogs are friendly and happy, but demand a lot of exercise! If brought up properly they will be loyal family members — and ensure that you never have a dull minute!

History
The Jack Russell was bred in England in the 19th century by the clergyman John Russell. He wanted a type of fox-terrier suited to hunting foxes, badgers and other ground-dwelling quarry. Two kinds of Jack Russell were bred, differing in size and proportions. The higher, more quadratic type is nowadays generally known as the Parson Russell Terrier, while the short-legged, longer-bodied type is the familiar Jack Russell Terrier.

The Jack Russell Terrier Club of Australia was formed in 1972, and set a formal breed standard. They also set up registration processes for owners and breeders.

Personality
Preserving the hunting instincts of the Jack Russell has been a priority for breeders, which means these jack-russell dogs need plenty of stimulation and exercise. They are often described as ‘happy’ and ‘fun loving’ but bore easily, so their behaviour can tend towards the destructive if left unstimulated. Jack Russells are not particularly good at entertaining themselves and should not be left without supervision when small children or other pets are around. And despite their friendly nature, Jack Russells are big dogs in small packages, so owners should keep an eye on them to avoid trouble.

Health
Jack Russells are a generally healthy dogs that are not prone to many inherited diseases. However, many veterinarians advise owners to look out for a condition called cardiomyopathy, an abnormality of the heart muscle. This can result in lung oedema (water in the lung), weakness during exercise and sudden death. This defect is difficult for the average owner to detect, but if you notice your dog having trouble after a walk or a run in the park or if you hear him wheezing when he breathes, take him to your vet for some tests.

Breeding
Good breeders follow the bloodlines of the breed, making sure no genetic diseases enter the mix.

Australian breeders
Derringer
Macullen
Arrowstud

Sources
http://www.aktivhund.se/Hundraser/visa.asp?menuindex=1&breedid=270
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Russel_Terrier
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/identifying-health-problems-common-to-jack- russell.html

Images by Arno&Louise (feature image) and DrewLeavy

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12 Responses to “Jack Russell”

jo says:

i have the cutest,lovable,most photogenic jackrussell/foxy out, he is my best friend, and he is a human talking dog called bingo, would love to meet other owners with the same connection on website

Juanne Davis says:

I have a 4yo Jack Russell named Milo. He is very boistrous and loving. He kisses me goodnight and goodmorning. He also knows by the clothes I wear whether he can come in the car or not. The one problem I have with him is his hatred of cats and having his nails cut! I also have a 14yo chihuahua X and they get on very well with each other.

Jill says:

We at Jack Russell Rescue are thankfully for the help we get from Bayer with the many Jacks that we save from deathrow

Faye Martin says:

I have a jack-Russell-Fox-Terrier,who has the worst problem,Ligament done to his left Hind-leg has not got any better and he has Arthristis really bad,plus both his back legs have turned in so much that he can hardly walk now….Please help me….Thankyou so much……

helentyquin says:

thank you for the jack russell article i have one called spike. it was coincidence that the first time i saw your page there was an article about them. thank you.

MARION says:

Hi, we had a lovely Jack Russell named Rambo, he was 14 years old and we lost him to snake bite 7 years ago – it was a terrible shock – the vets didn’t realise it was snake bite until too late, all the treatment he had was unable to save him. We buried him under one of his favourite trees and placed flowers there regularly until we sold our property and moved into town leaving Rambo in his final resting place. We got him for our youngest child who was afraid to play outside and they fell in love with each other immediately, and together had a very happy childhood with our other four children and us. It took a few years before we could have another canine family member and now we have Scruffy who is just as much a loved one as Rambo, they would have been good comrades in crime together, bye Marion

Georgia says:

We had a rough coated Jack Russell for 17 years and he was a wonderful dog. Unfortunately now every little terrier seems to be referred to as a Jack Russell.

Averil says:

I know have 4 little jack poos would like moe information on poodles and jack russlles.

Melanie says:

We have recently inherrited a 6 year old Jack Russell but he has not been trained and jumps all over us as soon as we go outside which is incredibly irritating when we have nice clean clothes on. I have tried turning my back to him so he will sit but he will just jump at my from behind and when I don’t pay him attention he will start biting. Any training ideas on how to make this stop?

Maida ( Marriott) says:

I have a JR She is 8 & half YO. White and black. Her name is Fredd. She is my great companion. Loves going to Dog Obedience Club,(passed Gr. 3) and knows that when I put on the Club Jumper, it is Club morning. Loves meeting her friends, and making new ones, both 2 legged and 4 legged. She is a people person. Puts herself to bed, (under the doona) whilst I am on the computer. Loves the back yard, checks it out for anything that she reckons should not be there. I am definately HER Person.

melissa says:

I have a 7 month old Mini Foxi x jack russel named puk he is over excited all the time when we get visitors and jumps all over them. i was wondering if i could get some info on how to stop him being so
excited and jumping all over people? i also wanted more info on the bread please!
puk is the most enjoyable puppy i cant wait till he grows older and has puppys of his own because they will have his beautiful personality.

Sandra Greenway says:

We have a cross mini foxy and Jack Russell.(Baby) Couldn’t ask for a more love-able dog. She loves to hunt for anything bugs, lizards etc. She is very well behaved. She loves visitors, we have made a point of telling her to stay down when she jumps up, works most of the time but not always. They seem to be very intelligent dogs and learn quickly. She can open our Patio door but we cant get her to shut it behind her lol. I do have a question about breeding her. She is about 3 1/2 kilos is tall not stout and has a rough coat. My concern is if she would have any problems with giving birth. Has anyone bred their cross. Our neighbour bought the same breed after meeting baby and wants to breed them. He is shorter and stocky a bit heavier and smooth coat. I’m sure they would have lovely puppies but I don’t want to take a chance of losing baby. I would appreciate any feed back.
Sandy